Date: Wednesday 28 August, 2024
Distance: 166.5km
Start location: Padrón
Finish location: Padrón
Start time: 13:30 CEST
Finish time (approx): 17:21 CEST
In Galicia, almost all roads lead to Santiago de Compostela. The city is famous for its cathedral, which, as the final destination of the world-renowned Way of St James, is the region’s most famous sight. Pilgrims come from all over the world to embark on this journey to where Spain’s patron, Saint James the Great, is said to have been buried, and over the years, its appeal has expanded beyond Christians to travellers of many different motives.
The closer you get to Compostela, the more stopping points you encounter, of which the small town of Padrón is one. It lies just 25 kilometres south of the city and, as such, is the last stop on the Portuguese Way pilgrimage route. In its own right, it’s also famous for the peppers grown here, which are characterised by being small and green and are popular all across Spain. Although often relatively mild, the ones grown during this time of year tend to be spicier than normal, with the hot weather resulting in more of the Capsaicin chemical that gives peppers their kick.
While Padrón might mark the nearing of the end for those Christian pilgrims, the riders taking part in this year’s Vuelta a España still have a long way to go upon arriving at the town and will only just cross the halfway point of the race today. It won’t feel as though they’re making much progress today, either, as after setting off from Padrón, they will undertake a circuitous route that will take on three loops to the north before arriving back into Padrón for the stage finish. On the first of those loops, they will take on Puerto San Xusto, at 10km, the longest climb of the day, but relatively shallow at only 4.2%. Then they will complete two shorter laps featuring a double ascent of Puerto Aguasantas (5.7km at 6.1%) before heading eastward to climb the day’s final climb, the Puerto Cruxeiras (2.9km at 8.9%), which they will crest just 8km before descending back to the finish at Padrón.
None of these climbs are especially hard, with all being designated either category two or three status and none standing higher than 500 metres – but together, they will be enough to prevent any chance of a sprint victory and make this another day for the puncheurs. In particular, the proximity of Puerto Cruxeiras to the finish makes it especially important — both…